Terminal
by Dot Katherine Granger
Summary: "I never knew how much I needed you until you were gone." When Pidge becomes deathly ill, Shiro realises how much she truly means to him. And he decides to pay her a visit, will it end in true love or tragedy? Rated for character death.


_Hi everyone, I'm back I guess. Sorry that I haven't posted any newer chapters on my other story but stuff has come up and I've had neither the time, the energy, nor the emotional strength to continue writing it._

 _Anyway, I wrote this a few days back and thought that I should post it on here because there aren't enough Shidge fics out there._

 _Disclaimer: I (regretfully) do not own Voltron. If I did Shidge would most likely already be canon._

 _Oh and on a side note, flames can and will be used as welding materials, (or to make cookies)._

* * *

The faint beating sound of a heart monitor drummed steadily in a small hospital room. A girl was lying in the bed, attached to her body were wires and drips that were keeping her alive, at least for now. The room was a sterile, barren white, and the bedsheets were a teal hue. The girl was petite, the pale green hospital gown hung on her body like a sack, hiding how clearly her ribcage could be seen. Blue IVs were visible up her left arm and a breathing tube was attached to her. A soft wheezing sound could be heard every time she took a breath as her body slowly faltered.

 **Pidge was dying.**

A quiet knock sounded from the door and a young man with raven hair and a pinkish-purple scar across his nose tentatively stepped into the room. Shiro walked over to Pidge and sat on the chair next to her bed looking at her sadly, she looked so at peace yet in so much pain. It broke his heart to see her like this. He took her hand in his and held it gently, she was so tiny. Pidge stirred slightly, murmuring his name in her sleep, calling out for him. The heart monitor spiked and her face twisted into a look of agony, she cried out in pain as her body contorted. Shiro gripped her hand tighter, a reassuring grasp.  
"Hey, shh, it's okay Katie, I'm here." He whispered to her, trying to do whatever he could to ease her pain. Her eyes flew open as she screamed in anguish, her body curling into a ball on the bed, coughing up blood. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as pain racked through her body. All Shiro could do was watch and try to comfort her, their fear reflected in his eyes as he would tell her over and over to breathe, to take deep breaths in and out and that the attack would pass. His hands still clasped around her own.  
Eventually her heart rate evened out again and Pidge collapsed back onto the bed, wheezing heavily. Her eyes closed but she was still conscious, the pain subsiding slowly. She coughed twice, Shiro got a tissue and carefully wiped the blood from her chin, each time the tissue came into contact with her skin it was done with such care and gentleness that one wouldn't expect from someone of Shiro's size and strength, it was almost as if she were made of glass, and that at any moment she could shatter. Pidge lifted her hand and placed it on top of his, her eyes opening to reveal her beautiful amber irises, she smiled at Shiro, tear stains still clear on her face.

"Hi." She whispered, it took so much effort to talk now, and when she was alone she was practically mute. Shiro let out a sound that was somewhere between a sob of relief and an elated laugh, she was still alive.  
"Hey." He responded, a tender, bittersweet smile crossed his features, "How are you feeling? The doctor says you've improved since last week." He ran his thumb across the back of her hand to comfort her. Pidge scoffed,  
"Like death." She replied. Shiro sighed and chuckled slightly at her antics, of course Pidge would find a way to crack a joke. Her face dropped, and she glanced away from him, tears re-forming in the corners of her eyes, "Shiro I'm scared." She murmured, "I'm scared. It hurts so much, all the time." Her heart rate began to increase again, her breathing became more laboured as she started to panic, "I don't want to die! Takashi I don't want to die!" She let out a sob and Shiro couldn't take it any more, he leaned over and wrapped his arms around the panicking girl before him. He gently lifted her up into a sitting position and held her close as she shook in his embrace.  
"Shhhhh Katie you need to calm down." He whispered into her ear, "You need to calm down and take deep breaths, in and out, that's it, try and match your breathing with me." He inhaled through his nose, deep and deliberate, then exhaled through his mouth, he repeated again and again until Pidge's breathing matched his, "There. It's okay, it's okay." He gently let her lay back down on the bed.

Pidge smiled and thanked him, and he took her hands in his once again. They talked for hours, Shiro telling her of Hunk's new bakery that he'd opened up with Shay, how Lance and Keith were (despite their constant bickering) still smitten with each other. He told her of Coran's book "The Legend of Voltron" becoming the best seller for an eleventh week in a row. And how Matt and Allura's baby boy could now count to ten in both English and Altean. He showed her photos of the places where the others lived and worked, videos of their lives, and for once in a long time, Pidge felt at home.  
But after a while the two of them fell silent and just took a few minutes to be in each other's company, that was until Shiro broke the silence between them. He looked down at the floor, a melancholy expression on his face,  
"Look Pidge, I, I have something I need to say." He glanced even further away, almost afraid to tell her what he wanted to. Pidge looked at him with tired eyes, a curious expression graced her deathly beautiful features,  
"Shiro..." She coughed, "You can tell me anything." He looked back up at her, taking in every tiny detail of her, how her auburn hair was not quite blonde, not quite brown, not quite ginger, but somewhere in between, how her honey-hued amber eyes reflected her curious and intelligent soul so perfectly, how her cheeks were graced with a slight pink blush, and now even now, when she was more sick than she'd ever been before, Pidge was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He sighed as turned himself to face her better, taking a moment to gather his thoughts he looked Pidge in the eyes and said,  
"Katie, I want you to know that over all the years I've known you, you've made me the happiest man in the universe. You've always been there for us all, through the thick and thin, you never failed to make me smile, and you know secrets about me that nobody else knows. And..." He teared up, "And I love you." A blush and a bittersweet smile spread across Pidge's face, she reached up and caressed his cheek, happy tears formed in her eyes,  
"I love you too." She said, and she gently pulled him towards her, he gladly accepted and leaned down towards her and softly kissed her, their arms wrapping around each other. But as Shiro pulled away Pidge's grip on him loosened and faltered. And what was once a steady beeping became a single, long, terrible note as the heart-rate monitor flatlined.

Shiro's expression filled with dread,  
"No..." He whispered, "NO! Pidge? Katie?! Please wake up! KATIE?! KATIE!" He frantically looked around for anyone who could help, he ran outside of the room and down the hall, "Help! Please! Someone?! Anyone! Please she's dying!" Doctors rushed to the room, hoping to resuscitate her. Shiro stood by her bed, both hands clasped around one of hers as he begged and pleaded for her to wake up, the doctors tried and tried but the CPR just wasn't working. One of them murmured something into a small handheld device and almost immediately another group of doctors rushed with a defibrillator and forced Shiro to let go of her hand.  
Once. Twice. Three times they shocked her. She would jolt every time the electricity flowed through her body. And all Shiro could do was watch as the one person he loved most in the universe slipped away from him before his eyes.  
One of the doctors reached down to check her pulse, but he was greeted by nothing but a cold, lifeless, silence. He looked up at Shiro, who had a look of pure, agonising terror on his face, and with his eyes closed he shook his head solemnly,  
"I'm sorry sir, but there's nothing more we can do."  
Shiro let out a strangled cry as his heart shattered, he let himself fall back into his chair and hunched over the lifeless body before him, heartbroken sobs echoed through the room.

It was too late. Pidge was gone.

* * *

 _So yeah, that's it I guess. I'll probably be making multiple alternate versions of this so keep an eye out for that._

 _This was also a little bit of a personal vent, so sorry for making it kinda sad._

 _-Dot_


End file.
